Pete Lyons – LX suite – LX:V – the quintet
Personnel:
Pete Lyons (tenor sax)
John Hulme (trumpet/flugelhorn)
Dan Whieldon (piano)
Gavin Barras (double bass)
Johnny Hunter (drums)
Saxophonist Pete Lyons has been an integral part of the
Sheffield jazz scene for many years, both as a player performing regularly and
as a part of the long-established Sheffield Jazz Workshop. To mark his 60th
birthday, Lyons composed the LX suite; 19 compositions to be played by a
quintet of Manchester-based musicians plus a Sheffield duo and septet. The three
strands of this ambitious project were called LX:V, LX:II and LX:VII and were
premiered at Sheffield Millennium Hall in April of last year. LX:V for quintet
was the first of the groups to be recorded and released as an album.
The album opens with Laying Tax, with the rhythm section
playing a bembe groove under the winding melody. Pianist Dan Whieldon solos
first and the strong bass and drums team of Gavin Barras and Johnny Hunter
respond to the shifts within his playing. As in a number of the pieces,
two-horn interplay between Lyons and John Hulme can be heard toward the end.
Relaxing is perhaps the strongest example of Lyons’ style of
composition, blurring the line between composed material and improvisation. Loose
grooves and flowing melodies are counteracted by an angular melodic line played
by the horns and piano in the middle of the piece. Lyons and Hulme both listen
keenly to each other as they play and are supported well at all times by the
strong rhythm section. Drummer Johnny Hunter has the ability to be creative and
musical in a number of different styles and bassist Gavin Barras contributes
some melodic and well-considered solos throughout the album.
Two of the pieces on the album, Live Axiom and Less Than
Exact, showcase the group’s ability to play swing as well as straight feels and
grooves. The up-tempo Less Than Exact leaves space for Lyons, Hulme and
Whieldon to stretch out as they solo, the whole band playing idiomatically and
musically.
It’s clear that Pete Lyons has established a clear
compositional voice and his particular talent for writing interesting ostinatos
and bass/piano patterns is showcased well by the band. He has plans to record
and release both the duo and septet music in the coming year.
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